swissmiss is a design blog and studio run by Tina Roth Eisenberg, a 'swiss designer gone NYC'.

Debbie Millman on spec work

Daivd Airey currently features a post with some quotes by Debbie Millman, the newly-appointed AIGA President, on the topic of spec work:

I am personally vigorously, passionately and fundamentally AGAINST designers being asked to do work on spec and neither I nor my firm will ever participate in speculative work. I have said it before and I will say it again: Speculative work denigrates both the agencies and the designers that participate. If we give away our work for free, if we give away our talent and our expertise, we give away more than the work. We give away our souls.

That’s a bit much. I fully agree with the sentiment and respect her passion, but giving away your soul? The remark is meant to resonate (and I’m sure it does) with those who may have had to do spec work, but to a larger audience it makes her sound quackish.